HS 

425 



confession 
a 

Master 
Mason 



rALEY 




Class ._ 
Book_ 



Copyright )^^^ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSrr 



^ 






v>. 



AUTOGRAPHS 



THE 

Confession of a Master Mason 

AND 

The Legend 

By CHARLES FAUSTUS WHALEY 

Author of 

"The Dawn of the Twentieth Century," "The Old Skid Road" and 

other legends of Puget Sound; also founder of 

"The Peacemakers' Society of the State of Washington" 

and the 

"DAUGHTERS OF THE NILE" 

A society to which only the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters 

of Nobles of the l^ys'^c Sb'-'ne are eligible. 




IKERS PRINTING CO., SEATTLE 



HS4'as 
.Wss 



Copyright 

1914 

By C. F. Whaley 



\^ 



'^©CI,A374804 




GEORGE WASHINGTON 
A Master Man 



DEDICATION 

To the man who believes in the Fatherhood of 

God and the Brotherhood cf man; 
To the man who believes himself to be his 

brother's keeper; 
To the man who walks the four-fold path of righ 

thinking, right speaking, right acting and 

right living, 

And 
To the youth of this land and EVERY land this 

little book is dedicated by the Author. 



A MASON'S MORNING PRAYER. 



A MASON'S MORNING PRAYER. 

Great Father:— 
Help me to do my work this day, — my best; 

And lead me in my blindness; 
With strength of truthful purpose fill my breast 
Sufficient to withstand temptation's test; 

And fill my heart with kindness. 



THE CONFESSION 



THE CONFESSION. 

Nearly fifty years ago, unsolicited, I made ap- 
plication for admission into a lodge of "Ancient 
Craft Masons." 

After being duly prepared, I was admitted; not, 
however, until after careful investigation, I was 
found worthy. 

My first lesson in Masonry was to walk up- 
rightly before God and man, and to deal justly 
with all mankind. 

I was soon stripped of all my VANITY and 
taught the value of HUMILITY. 

And now, after all these years, these lessons 
still abide with me. They were so indelibly fixed 
in my mind, and impressed upon my conscience, 
that my memory holds them still... In fact, I have 
pondered them and studied them so well that I 
have formulated my own definition of these two 
words. 

VANITY is an artificially illumined playground 
for thoughtless, frivolous youth, grandiloquent 
manhood and aged imbeciles. 

HUMILITY is a rough, uncushioned and un- 
comfortable little bench, in a lonely spot, where 
one may sit and meditate upon the errors or mis- 
takes of yesterday, and gain courage and strength 
of purpose for tomorrow. 

Humility, like charity, is one of the marks of 
a Master Mason. 

After my initiation, my lessons came thick and 
fast. I soon realized that Masonry was a school 
of moral philosophy, and must be learned one step 



THE CONFESSION 



at a time, like climbing a ladder, or a rough and 
rugged hillside, where the footing was secure, but 
the climbing arduous. Climbing the hillside of 
life is indeed an arduous task, and needs a stimu- 
lus of some kind to make the climber persevere. 
This stimulus, Masonry provides; not only in the 
achievement of moral rectitude and glory of mas- 
tership at the top, but also in the friendship and 
brotherly love of companions on the way. 

At every step in Masonry, some virtue must be 
gained; and some sin or error must be put aside 
or trodden under foot. 

Each moral lesson in Masonry reveals some 
trait of sin or selfishness that must be cast aside. 

One of the first great lessons in Masonry is 
SELF MASTERY. This, however, does not mean 
that you should deny yourself any of the rights 
and privileges which you have earned as a man 
and a Mason, and which of right to you belong. 

It does not mean self ABASEMENT, but it 
does mean the casting aside of all selfishness, self- 
love, vanity, self-aggrandizement, self-praise, 
boastfulness, envy, jealousy, avarice, suspicion, 
petulance and pride. 

And it does mean the SUBDUING OF YOUR 
PASSIONS; in other words, SELF-CONTROL. 

To accomplish all this, you realize that you 
must cultivate some of the strongest virtues as 
your allies. 

First, you choose TEMPERANCE, as you know 
this virtue is necessary to the unfoldment of your 
moral character. 

And now that the fight is on, against self, you 
find you must have something to strengthen your 
purpose; therefore, you choose FORTITUDE. 



THE CONFESSION 



Another step and you find that you need pa- 
tience and PRUDENCE both to help you. A little 
further along and you realize that the law of com- 
pensation and JUSTICE must both be reckoned 
with; even justice to SELF, else the monument 
of your moral character could not be built, nor 
the true Masonic LIFE BE LIVED. 

Masonry is a school of personal effort, hence 
we need volition, intelligence and perseverance to 
aid us in our endeavor to gain MASTERSHIP. 

"Nature evolves a man, but nature, unaided, 
cannot evolve a master." 

Nature, however, has invested man v/ith a will, 
which enables him to do things on his own initia- 
tive, or not do them, as he wills. It has also 
endowed him with an inner consciousness, some- 
times called the SOUL, which, when appealed to, 
acts as a governor or guide to the will power. 

SELF-CONTROL is a narrow path up a rugged 
hillside ascending towards the East, leading from 
darkness into light; and as the student ascends, 
step by step, he receives more light upon his 
pathway, until in due course of time, with manly 
strides, and intelligent effort, he stands upon an 
eminence, within the light of universal truth; a 
MASTER. 

George Washington, the Father of our country, 
the defender of our liberties, one of the grandest 
statesmen the world has ever produced, a noble- 
m.an of Nature's finest mould, was a PERFECT 
MASON. And who shall say he was not worthy 
of our emulation? 

Aside from being a disciple of the Master Jesus, 
what higher calhng can a m.an aspire to than to 
1:2 a follower cf the Master Washington? 



THE CONFESSION 



Masonry is a progressive and a constructive 
science, and when pursued voluntarily and intel- 
ligently, under the laws of evolution and compen- 
sation which obtain at all times and everywhere, 
and under the guidance of the soul attributes of 
consciousness, it evolves a MORAL AND UP- 
RIGHT MAN. 

As sure as sparks fly upward and as day suc- 
ceeds the night, just so sure does the law of evo- 
lution evolve some higher plane of Human Exist- 
ence; some grander scheme of civilization; some 
nobler plan of living, demanding men of higher 
aims and nobler souls to teach and take command. 
Masonry undertakes the task of supplying this 
demand. 

And how could this be done except by careful 
selection of its student material? 

HENCE THE SECLUSION AND SECRECY 
OF THE ORDER. 

Of what avail would all the valuable tenets of 
the order be, if cast before the selfish multitude 
to be trodden under ruthless, careless feet? 

In the "Dawn of the Twentieth Century," on 
page 12, we read: 

"Every human soul 
Is circumscribed by three environments. 
Three distinct and separate lives we live: 
One to the public, or the world at large, 
Another to our friends and loved ones dear, 
And yet another to ourselves and — God. 
Within this sacred shrine of shrines 
Where conscience dwells, none enters but the King; 
The sacred thoughts that here we entertain 
Are Infinite, and know no finite law. 
And can no more be blurted out in words 
Than we can bail the sea or stop the earth." 



THE CONFESSION 



And here is where a man is first prepared to 
be made a Mason; here is where he lays the cor- 
nerstone of the foundation of his future Moral 
Edifice. 

In the "Great Work" we read on page 256: 

"Rectitude of character, virtue, knowledge and 
wisdom are germs of possibilities within the soul. 
They have to be grown as the grain of wheat must 
be grown in order that they may reproduce them- 
selves. And it is in the process of their growth 
that their equivalent in Personal Effort is ex- 
pended. 

Virtue never grew and matured into a perma- 
nent possession of any Soul, except as compensa- 
tion for the strivings of that Soul for better 
things. 

Knowledge and wisdom never thrust themselves 
gratuitously upon any man. 

Sometime, somewhere, he has paid their full 
price in personal effort; and they have come to 
him only as compensation for the energy he has 
spent in his struggle upward into the light of 
Truth. 

There is no achievement in the realm of the 
Soul v^/ithout personal effort." 

Again in the "Dawn of the Twentieth Century," 
page 25, we read: 

"Religion is the innate longing of 

A human soul to know its cause; a stream 

Which ever strives to reach the mighty sea 

From whence it came. Religion is a fact; 

A germ inborn in every human soul; 

A seed which may produce a lovely plant 

If nurtured well, and pruned with care. 

The fragrant flowers of which shall please the eye 



THE CONFESSION 



Of man, and fill his heart with love and joy; 

The fruit of which shall satisfy his thirst, 

Relieve his hunger and enrich his soul. 

Yet, left to grow ad libitum, without 

The light of truth; from out the bogs of fear, 

Or on the heights of bigotry and pride. 

Or yet within the vale of ignorance. 

Beneath a cloud of superstitious dews, 

It comes to naught. The first is but a weed; 

The second is a thistle, and the third 

Is but the famous, deadly Upas tree. 

Theology is the shadow of a fact. 

A feeble definition of a truth; 

A mere attempt sensations to explain. 

But not the thing itself. Most men confound 

The shadow with the fact. Facts are of God. 

Theologies are always made by men. 

Therefore, we have the errors and the strife. 



Ye mighty Pulpiteers, remember this: 
Theologists may differ but the fact 
Remains the same. Religion is of God: 
Therefore, revere the shadow, for beyond 
And yet above it, stands a sacred fact. 

The human race is like a family 
Of fretful boys whose parents are away, 
Disputing o'er the duties of the day 
And o'er the preparation of their sleep. 

We are but children on the shore of time, 
Each with a shell that suits his fancy most, 
ALL playing with the sands of destiny." 



THE CONFESSION 11 

Masonry is not a Theology. It has no theories 
or dogmas to defend. It is a Religion, PURE 
AND SIMPLE. It teaches right thinking, right 
speaking, right acting and right living. It teaches 
the ethical principles of human existence, and im.- 
presses them, upon the consciousness. 

Under the law of natural science, it carries the 
student over the wall between the Physical and 
the Psychical, and teaches himi that the immortal- 
ity cf the soul is as certain as the m-ortality of the 
body. 

It teaches him how to live a life under the con- 
structive principles cf nature. 

It teaches him that the individual right to hu- 
man existence, — the right to live, — v/ould be an 
empty and hollow heritage, if mere living were 
the only goal of individual attainment or purpose. 

It teaches him that life itself is of no value to 
the world except insofar as it is made a life cf 
service to the CAUSE OF HUMANITY. 

It teaches him that "The only legitimate reason 
or excuse for existence of an individual's right to 
life is that the life shall be WORTH IT. 

And the only life that is worth ANYTHING 
is the life of SERVICE TO HUMANITY." 

All of these qualifications and many more are 
taught the student in Masonry, until finally, it is 
borne in upon his mind and consciousness that 
he is responsible to all humanity for the manner 
i:i v.'hich he lives his life. 

He is taught to cultivate the art of courtesy and 
consideration and to shun sophistry and deceit 
as he would any vice or a crime. 



12 THE CONFESSION 

He is taught to meet ingratitude with patience, 
selfishness with forbearance, and penitence with 
forgiveness and love. 

He is also taught the law of natural selection, 
whereby a plant may select from the soil, mois- 
ture and sunlight, its own peculiar color, shape, 
fragrance and style. In fact, all that it needs to 
make it a perfect flower of its kind; rejecting all 
else; and thus he, too, can, under the same law, 
select all the virtues that shall go to the making 
of an almost perfect man, rejecting all else. 

And yet, this institution, like all other plans for 
the improvement of the individual intellect and 
the upbuilding of character among men, has its 
enemies. 

And what shall we say concerning the enemies 
of a man whose patient, faithful study of the 
moral principles of right living has unfolded an 
intelligent individual with power of discernment 
sufficient to make him a worthier citizen, a better 
neighbor, a nobler patriot and a truer friend. 

If you will show me a man's enemies, I will 
know the man. 

And should I know the man, I will then know 
who his enemies are. 

Some of the Theological societies or institu- 
tions object seriously to Masonry. Some of them 
being especially bitter in their denunciation, and 
yet, if you de-paganize these institutions and di- 
vorce them from their superstitions, dogmas and 
avarice, you would not find so very much differ- 
ence between them and Masonry, except that one 



THE CONFESSION 13 

demands FAITH of its votaries, while the other 
exacts GOOD WORK. 

Yet, if our enemies would only stop at vitupera- 
tion or denunciation, the cause for complaint upon 
our part would not be so great; but they go far- 
ther; they establish counterfeit or clandestine 
lodges, without authority, character or warrant 
from any Masonic source whatever, where they 
pretend to give degrees and where they practice 
obscene and disgraceful orgies for the purpose of 
bringing the name of Free Masonry into con- 
tempt. 

Now, every man who is born into the world is 
provided with the germ of a soul which, if nour- 
ished upon the virtues of life, may thrive and 
grow until it takes possession of the very man 
himself and makes him a pleasure and a gladness 
to all whom he may meet. And you may know 
a man of CULTURED SOUL by the radiant glory 
shining in his face. Yet, if this germ of a soul be 
fed on the vices of life, it shrinks and shrivels 
away until it becomes the merest point of noth- 
ingness. 

Hence the man who can thus, by clandestine 
methods, attempt to discredit a good, moral and 
charitable institution in the minds of the people, 
has a soul so infinitesimally small that it would 
be a useless effort to try to discern it with a 
microscope. 

Ask the widows and the orphans concerning 
Masonic methods. Ask the Mason in indigent 
circumstances, or upon a sick bed, about Masonic 
care. Look into the faces of a band of Masons at 
the funeral services of a departed brotner, as tliey 



14 THE CONFESSION 

perform the last sad rites and ceremonies over 
him, consigning the body to the dust "from whence 
it came and the spirit back to God who gave it." 

All modern secret orders or organizations are 
SOCIETIES because we know when they were 
made; by whom they were organized, and why 
they were called into existence. We know the 
exigencies of the occasions which demanded them. 
Societies are formed for the calling or associating 
together of persons of like interests or tastes, such 
as commerce, literature, art, music, sociology, pa- 
triotism, politics, theology, science, labor and 
many, many other needs (imaginary or other- 
wise). But Free Masonry is an INSTITUTION 
based upon natural law, and antedates all his- 
torical records. It is older than the pyramids, 
and as enduring as any other institution founded 
upon the laws of God. 

It originated in the mind and conscience of the 
first man who could say: 

What am I? 

Whence Came I? 

Why am I here? 

Where am I going? 

If I die, shall I live again? 

V. C. Desertis, a profound thinker and true 
philosopher, in his book entitled "Psychic Philoso- 
phy as the Foundation of a Religion of Natural 
Law," gives us the very essence of the ethical 
principles of human existence. On page 304, in 
a chapter on the human family, we read: 

"The one thing that we owe to others is JUS- 
TICE, in the widest application of the word. 
This involves truth and open dealing in every re- 
lation of life. As it is by the industry of others 
that our civilized life is possible, we owe it to 



THE CONFESSION 15 

others to do our share in maintaining that civili- 
zation. 

As we owe our intellectual training to the 
thoughts of others, we owe it to them to con- 
tribute our share also, which can only be done 
by complete honesty towards all with whom our 
thoughts are brought into contact. 

Justice, too, demands that what we desire for 
others should be the same as what we demand 
for ourselves — all that contributes to well-being 
and development of body and mind; and our 
standard should be what we, as just men, justly 
deserve; THAT others should do unto us. We 
justly want the fullest opportunity for our own 
activity— SO DO OTHERS. We justly want all 
that we can use, not merely enjoy, but USE for 
higher, fuller life of healthy bodies and growing 
minds. SO DO THEY. We want opportunity 
for work and leisure. SO DO THEY. This is 
the statement of the ethical principles of JUS- 
TICE." 

And this master mind carries us a little deeper 
into the realm of thought on page 340 of the 
same book when he says: 

"Whoever is a consenting party to a wrong, 
comforting himself with the base reflection that 
it will be his last time, shall bear his portion of 
that wrong throughout ALL TIME. And in the 
hour when he and I stand face to face, he shall 
know it, for my name is JUSTICE." 

To a Master Mason the above quotations ring 
so true and familiar that he at once concludes 
that "Justice" and Free Masonry are synonymous 
terms, and I say to you that they should be trans- 
cribed in letters of gold en durable parchment 



16 THE CONFESSION 

and placed in the hands of every Entered Appren- 
tice Mason as an auxiliary lesson and should be 
called the golden text. 

A Mason is a patriot who stands guard over 
the archives of his government. Masonry is a 
fender or buffer for the ship of state, and is Used 
to ward off both anarchy and superstition. 

Every Masonic lodge in the United States rep- 
resents one of the mighty links, in the mighty 
chain, holding the mighty anchor of this mighty 
government. 





THE TWO SAINTS JOHN 
Eminent Patrons of Masonry 




THE AUTHOR 



FORBEARANCE 17 



FORBEARANCE. 

If any man shall challenge you and say, 
■"There is no God," turn not thy face away, 
Nor call him "fool," nor treat him with disdain. 
And judge him not; all this were worse than vain. 
Take thou his hand and say to him, "My friend, 
What bitter cup of sorrow have you drained? 
What malady has stricken thus your soul? 
Where did you fall? How did you miss the goal? 
What weary, thorny paths have your feet trod. 
That you can thus proclaim: 'There is no God?'" 

Withhold thy censure 'till the truth is known. 
What bitterness turned this man's heart to stone? 
And what bereavement made him deaf and blind 
To all the beauties of this world; — and find 
If he will tell you, — and perhaps he may, — 
V/hat power sustains HIM while he thus can say 
"There is no God?" Then say to him, "If so, 
Make thou for me an acorn that will grow." 
Tell him, "Wherever life is, GOD IS THERE, 
And LIFE, like love and truth, is everywhere. 




IS THE LECTUR5 



THE LECTURE. 

And now a word to the youth of all the land 
and EVERY land. Be careful how you walk, 
where you step, and hew you place your feet. 'Tis 
better far to stand stock still a moment and re- 
flect, or, better yet, to ask some sojourner on the 
way, some brother by your side, the way to light 
and happiness, than to take one step upon the 
downward way that leads to darkness and de- 
spair. If you can just control j'our feet, your head 
and heart will meet with no mishap. And when 
you com^e to m.anhood, when you are twenty-one, 
the very greatest complim.ent that you could then 
receive would be for some good men to say of 
you, "Here is good Masonic timber." And if 
you are in search of happiness, let m.e tell you the 
acme of all human happiness is the reflex action 
of a good deed well done. As the growth of fruit 
and the blooming of flowers depend upon sun- 
shine and rain, so does the growth and cul- 
t "re of the soul depend upon the sunshine of joy 
in the face and the tears of gratitude in the eyes 
of som.e hum^an recipient of our kindness. 

The things which make life most worth living; 
indeed, the very cream of existence, is the sure 
knowledge of having remembered our obligations 
and kept our vows. To lie down at night seeking 
your well-earned rest with the sweet assurance 
of having that day dried some bitter tears; eased 
some aching heart; sweetened some cup of sor- 
row; of having helped some Sysiphus roll the 
heavy stone to the top of the hill, though you 
knew it would only roll down again. 



:he lecture i9 



By acts of kindness and generosity, by cheer- 
ful speech and the display of friendship and good 
will, in your daily walk, you may surround your- 
self with such a wall of friends that no enemy 
can assail you. Therefore, be careful of your 
speech. Be guarded in your m.anner toward your 
fellowman lest you give offense. Be courteous 
and considerate to all whom you may meet; and 
should you find a brother in sorrow or distress, 
take thou a part of his load and bear it for him. 

You must indeed count that day lost in which 
you have performed no act of kindness. Strive, 
then, in som.e way to contribute to the welfare 
and happiness of some of God's creatures each 
day; and restrict not your service to the realm of 
human woes, but lend your aid and sympathy to 
every living creature that can know a grief, sense 
a sorrow or feel a pain. 

Begin each day with good resolves; appoint no 
agents, but do your work yourself. 

Masons are m.en who UNDERSTAND, men 
who can meet the hungry-hearted with a crumb 
cf comfort, the careworn with a word of clieer, 
and the sorrowful with a smile cf joy. 

Be not weary in well doing for knov/ you this, 
you cannot stand still for long; you must advance 
or retrograde, and though you do no wrong, in 
the day in which you show no kindness you are 
but v/here the dav/n awoke you; WITH ONE 
DAY LOST. No day comes back, and life is short 
at best. You will have missed the golden oppor- 
tunity of gathering one more white pebble with 
which to build j'our monument of character. 

There will be one blank page in the book of 
your life's history. And when the day is done 
and you seek your couch for sweet repose and 



20 



THE LECTURE 



the restoration of your exhausted energies suffi- 
cient for the labors of another day, repeat these 
words: 



A MASON'S EVENING PRAYER. 

Thou great and loving Father: 

I know full well my failures of today; 

I say it to my sorrow. 
Teach me some better, nobler way, 
Be Thou my help in every need, I pray; 

Bide with me yet tomorrow. 




THE LEGEND 21 



THE LEGEND. 

One day, the King was seated on his throne 
In meditation deep. His heart was sad 
And sore perplexed concerning things of state; 
At length he called his counsellors to him — 
Three men of erudition, three wise men — 
And said to them, "I want an honest man; 
A man whose pride is in his countrymen. 
Not in himself. A man whose love of truth 
Is all sufficient to withstand the test 
Of losing caste among his fellowmen. 
A man whose sense of justice is so great 
That he will share his lands without debate 
On any line where equal rights dictate. 
And with his neighbor share and share alike. 
And share his raiment, even, with the poor; 
For I am weary of this endless strife. 
Of all my subjects (save a sacred few). 
Each man is for himself, just for himself — 
No loyalty to country or to King; 
No love of neighbor fills his selfish heart; 
For every service be it great or small, 
He drives a bargain quite beyond his need 
And very often quite beyond its worth. 
He ever strives for power, place or pelf. 
And clamors for himself; just for himself. 
Therefore, you see, I need a man, to teach 
The youth of this my land to live the life 
Of moral rectitude and love of truth 
And patriotism worthy of the name." 
The counselors when they beheld his grief. 
And saw the care-lines written in his face, 
Bowed low upon the earth their heads: three 
times. 



22 THE LEGEND 

And said, "Oh, King, forever may you live 

And reign, and rule the people with Thy love, 

And if we have found favor in Thy sight, 

Give us Thy blessing and we will depart." 

•'Take precious jewels," said the King, "of gold 

And silver, and of richest gems; take pearls 

And rubies rare; take silken fabric, too. 

And cloth of gold; and say to him, when found, 

The King sends of his wealth this goodly store 

To you; that you shall come and teach the youth 

Of all his kingdom how to live the life." 

The wise men then arose and made reply: 

"We know the kind of teacher you require. 

We also know the school in which 

He gained his knowledge of the universe, 

And wisdom of the perfect laws thereof. 

A man who knows the mysteries of all 

The nations of the world. A man who treads 

The eightfold path of righteousness and truth." 

Then rose the King and with uplifted hands 

Besought a blessing on each aged head. 

And bade them go and search through all the lands, 

Nor falter on their way, but strive instead. 

By stealthy ways, as only wise men can. 

Nor count the cost, but bring to him THAT MAN. 

By many paths and after many days. 
The wise men came upon a dusty road 
On which a man was walking very fast. 
They each stood up, erect, in front of him. 
And each said, "Hail!" and made a certain sign. 
The man stopped short, and said: "I recognize 
Your sign and greet you with return of it; 
I know the waj^s by which your feet have trod. 
The gnosis of your school has been revealed 
To me. You are my brethren from the East — 
The place of light; but wherefore do you hail?" 
The eldest of the three spoke up and said, 



THE LEGEND 23 

"We are three pilgrims on a mission bent. 

Three envoys of the King and by him sent 

To find a certain man to teach the youth 

Throughout his realm to live a life of truth; 

And sacrifice and love; and v^^e would ask 

That you should aid us in our sacred task." 

"This will I do," he said; "but first of all 

I must obey a very urgent call. 

V/ithin that village there upon the hill 

A little child lies very, very ill; 

And if, perchance, she should be living still 

When I arrive, I m.ust apply the skill 

(For v/hich I owe the school of Essenes 

My grateful thanks) to make her well again. 

Therefore, abide you here and rest, I pray, 

Till I return." When he was gone they said, 

As if by one accord, "Is this the man?" 

They marveled at his m.ein and mode of speech, 

And at his seeming knowledge of their cult. 

Then spake the younger of the three and said, 

"This man is not a teacher, or a priest. 

But simply what he has proclaimed himself — 

A healer of the sick." "Be not so sure," 

Remarked the elder of the three, "we must 

Resume our speech with him and more at length; 

And put him to the test. If we can make 

Him speak to us of ancient mystic rites. 

Or ancient writings, prophesies, or creeds, 

Vv''e soon shall have him classified and sealed. 

The only one you cannot classify 

Is he vv^ho will not talk, the silent man." 

Then spake the eldest of the three and said, 

"I know the school in which this man was taught 

The art of healing. He is an 'Esseer.' 

The Essene order teaches how to fit 

And keep the body in its normal state, 

And holy habitation for the soul. 

The 'Esseer' is a 'Therapeut' as well; 



24 THE LEGEND 

He knows the healing properties of plants, 
Of herbs, of roots, or bark and leaves of trees, 
And minerals for medicine as well; 
Their preparation and application 
For the healing of the sick, both man and beast." 
But now the eventide was coming on, 
The air was growing chill, when lo! they saw 
The stranger coming back upon his way. 
His stride was manly and he seemed in haste, 
Despite the shade of sorrow on his face. 
Straightway when he cam.e up to them he said, 
"Come now and sup and bide with me this night." 
Then taking off his cloak he placed it on 
The shoulders of the eldest of the three. 
Without one ostentatious move, nor said, 
"Take this my cloak, the air is chill," instead 
He simply placed it there, and stooping down 
Took up the eldest's load and walked along. 
And as they went their way one said to him, 
"How did you leave the little child?" He said, 
" 'Tis well with her," and turned away his face. 
And then they knew, and questioned him no more. 
A peasant standing by the road they saw 
Who looked expectant with his hat in hand; 
Placing one hand upon his heart, he said, 
"Kind Master, I am now in sore distress. 
My sheep are losing all their wool; it falls 
Away from them by day and night; the fold 
Is littered v/ith the wool from off their backs." 
"Com.e," said the Master, "I will give you herbs 
And teach you hov/ to make a bath in which 
Your sheep miust be submerged and purified. 
And also tell you how to purge your fold." 
Another man stood waiting at the gate 
When they arrived, who also with respect 
And reverential awe addressed their host. 



THE LEGEND 



"Kind Master, I have met with grievous loss. 
Three days ago one of my oxen strayed; 
Since then, betimes, we sought him near and far, 
And only now we found him in a mire, 
A sorry sight, for he was dead; quite dead. 
And all my fields remain as yet unplowed 
And I have naught wherewith to buy an ox." 
"Be here at sunrise," said their host, "and I 
Will go with you; I knov/ a man who may 
Supply your needs and I will sign your bond." 
When they were seated at their frugal meal 
A servant entered and addressed their host, 
"Good Master, pardon this unseemly haste 
And this intrusion at this time and place, 
But even now a man stands at the door, 
A peasant, asking for an audience," 
"Admit him," said the Master, and at once 
He placed both hands before his eyes as if, 
By shutting earthly objects from his sight 
And from, his mind, he could the better read, 
By intuition why the man had come 
At that unseemly hour; what was his need, 
And hew to meet it. So when the peasant 
Appeared and stood embarrassed at the door, 
He said, "My brother, you may go your way, 
You need not speak, I have divined your need. 
Come tomorrow at one hour past high twelve 
And I, with transit and with rod will go 
With you and measure out the legal line 
Between your neighbor and yourself," at which 
The peasant said, "I thank you," and retired. 

At this display of occult divination 
The wise men marveled greatly and they knew 
Him for a mystic then and there. They talked 
Of scholars, saints and martyrs of the past, 
And occult brotherhoods, the guardians of 
The sacred truths and science of the soul. 



25 THE LEGEND 

Again the servant entered as before 

And said, "My Master, all the fellowcrafts 

Are now assembled in the sacred hall 

And wish to make report and to display 

Their handicraft, and also to receive 

The wages for their work if aught be due." 

Whereat their host arose and said, "my friends 

Abide you here while I inspect the work 

Of these my fellowcrafts and pay their dues. 

Also draw a few designs upon the trestleboard 

And give them some instructions for their work, 

And in due time I will return to you." 

When he was gone, they said with one accord, 
"This is the man," and straightway sought their 

packs 
And placed upon the tables all the gems 
Of gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls, 
Of diamonds and of rubies rich and rare; 
Of fabrics both of silk and cloth of gold. 
And each from off his breat a jewel took 
And placed it on the glittering pile of gems. 

When he returned the eldest rose and said, 
"We have divined, YOU are the man we seek, 
Hence we have placed upon your table here 
These presents rare, the offering of our King", 
That you may com.e with us and teach the youth 
Of all his kingdom how to 'live the life' 
Of rectitude morality and truth." 
"A bribe!" said he, and in his soulful eyes 
Shone forth a keen rebuke that would have burst 
Forth into words had not his vision caught 
The emblems which they placed upon the pile. 

"Whence came these emblems? Did HE send 

me these?" 
Then spake the eldest of the three and said, 



THE LEGEND 27 

"We took them from our breasts and placed 

them there 
To so augment the price we wish to pay 
For your great sacrifice in fear that you 
Should hesitate to come, or say us nay." 

He took one up, and looking at it said, 
"This token represents a second birth, 
An intellectual not physical, 
The man who wears this jewel should be true 
Unto himself, and every other man; 
He should be prudent and of good repute 
Among his fellow-men; and understand 
The law of self-restraint, or self-control. 

The man who wins the right to wear this gem 
Must climb a narrow, rough and rugged path 
Out of the vale where self-indulgence reigns. 
And he must gather virtues on his way; 
He must have patience and forbearance both; 
And justice, temperance, fortitute and truth. 
And he must walk uprightly and be just; 
To whom does this belong?" he said, and paused. 

The youngest of the three arose and said, 

" *Tis m.ine, wise Master, and I know its worth." 

"Receive it then from me, and never more 
Attempt to part with it no matter what 
The cause, its value all remains with you." 

He took another, and began, "This gem 
Denotes intelligence, wisdom and power, 
'Tis emblematic of good deeds well done. 
The man who owns this gem must t>e prepared 
To guard his brothers' rights just as his own 
And counsel him if he be in despair, 
Or sorrowful or otherwise oppressed. 



THE LEGEND 



The man who wears this jewel on his breast 
Must live a contemplative life, and he 
Must know the law that rules the universe 
And universal life and all the paths 
To wisdom and to truth, and how to build 
A temple and to supervise the work 
And how to lay out work and draw designs; 
He also must become conversant with 
The law of ethics and the power of mind. 
And how to build a temple for the soul; 
And how to climb a flight of winding stairs 
Into a sacred place, there to receive 
The wages for his labor — self-respect." 
And now he held the gem aloft and said, 
"To whom of right does the emblem belong?" 

The elder, quite abashed, arose and said, 
"Wise Master, it is mine. I offered it 
Because its value seemed equivalent — 
All else of my possessions seemed unfit." 
"The compliment I keep, but I return 
Your jewel, for its value rests with you — 
That which a man has earned, belongs to him; 
Naught else is his, no matter how obtained." 

The last he took and pressed it to his lips, 

Then holding it aloft above his head 

He murmured as in prayer "The Magian Cross! 

Emblem of truth and immortality." 

And then he lifted up his voice and said, 

"The man who owns this jewel understands 

The riddle of the universe, and may 

At will, reveal and demonstrate 

The continuity of 'life beyond.' 

The m.an who wore this gem has climbed the wall 

That bounds the physical, and walks aloft 

Upon the heights of spiritual truth. 

The Magian Mysteries he reads as he 



THE LEGEND 29 

Would read an open book; he knows the laws 
That underlie all Myths and Miracles." 

Replacing it upon the owner's breast 
He said, "My brother, I can understand 
The motive of your sacrifice; and yet 
I must admonish you, to guard with care 
This token of your labor and your faith. 
And as for these — this glittering pile of gems, 
I deem them naught but dross, my countrymen 
Would never understand their use or worth. 
And you must take them back from whence they 

came; 
My people have been taught to value man 
By his internal qualifications 
Not by his raiment or his outward garb. 
A man may wear a silken robe and still 
Be foul of heart. So may a spark divine 
Be found within a peasant's naked breast." 

"Abide with me three days and in that time 
I will obtain a dispensation from 
The East which will invest me with the power 
To organize the school your King requires. 
And I will go with you and found that school; 
And each of you shall have his place assigned — 
The youngest in the South a seat of care; 
The elder in the West as counselor; 
The eldest in the East a place of light. 

And so, at length they brought unto the King 
This honest man — this teacher of the truth — 
A MASTER MASON. 



A MASON'S CREED 



A MASON'S CREED. 

As CTxe by one the flowers fade and die, 

And summer roses, mouldering, scattered lie. 

And icy wintry winds go wailing by — 

Some day; 
So, one by one, our brothers will depart, 
And leave a void in every Mason's heart. 
In joy we meet; in sorrow we must part, — 

Some day. 
And yet, we know the flowers will grow again, 
And roses bloom and birds sing sweet refrain, 
A-nd trees renew their leaves mid warm spring rain. 

Some day. 
So shall we each; our earthly labors o'er. 
Renew our labors on that other shore 
'Mid light abundant and forever more — 

Some day. 




A SEQUOIA 
A Master Tree 



DECLARATION OF FRIENDSHIP 31 



A MASON'S DECLARATION OF FRIEND- 
SHIP. 

From out the toughest fibres of my heart, — 

My selfish heart: I have woven me' a net 

In which with tender care I hold you fast. 

Its warp and woof alike are spun from love — 

Undaunted love. The strength of this, my net, 

Is all sufficient to withstand the test 

Of any slight, ungratefulness or blame; 

Prosperity, adversity cr time; 

And it has elasticity enough 

To reach to any country of this world, 

If you, my friend, should choose to there abide. 



AUTOGRAPHS 



